Living steadily in the world of gods and mystery

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, another month had passed.

Spring gave way to summer.

The weather became increasingly hot.

Chen Li specifically made a trip to Luoluo City to renew his house lease for another year in advance.

Although he temporarily wasn’t living in the house in Luoluo City, he couldn’t let others move in, especially since there was a secret passageway hidden inside. If it were to be discovered and publicized, it could potentially become a new source of trouble. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Affected by the war, Luoluo City had become much more desolate. As Chen Li made his way through the streets, he noticed that the flow of people had decreased by more than half; it was no longer as bustling as before.

Chen Li arrived at the door of his former home.

He opened the door.

Inside, a thick layer of dust had settled.

"Eh!"

Chen Li was surprised to pick up an unaddressed letter. He tore open the envelope and read the letter.

The person who wrote the letter was named Zhang Meng. The content was enigmatic and would have been incomprehensible to anyone else, but Chen Li understood that it came from Gu Mengqing. He noted down the current address of the sender and put the letter into his storage bag.

"Now that the storm has passed, I should go and see him," he thought.

Afterward, he cleaned the house, dusting it thoroughly before locking the door behind him as he left.

...

Two days later.

Chen Li walked out into the wilderness and, casting his Wind Control Skill, soared into the sky.

His destination was a Loose Cultivators’ settlement not far away, near a forest. Herbalist hunters frequented that place, and it had naturally become a settlement and market dominated by Loose Cultivators.

According to the information Chen Li had gathered, it was a mixed and chaotic area.

And that was where Gu Mengqing had settled down.

After flying for several dozen miles, Chen Li saw the humble and dilapidated settlement from afar. He swiftly descended and changed his appearance before nonchalantly walking in. The settlement was quite large, much bigger than a typical village.

Dawn had not yet fully broken.

Many Loose Cultivators, bearing resemblance to old farmers, had already left their homes early, carrying hoes and burlap sacks, heading for the forest to make a living.

"The third house to the left of the Red Forest by the riverside... What a mess of an address," Chen Li complained in his mind as he searched for the residence.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too hard to find.

Following a river that flowed from the forest, Chen Li quickly found the Red Forest.

The trees grew in water, with pale red leaves and branches, thriving profusely in a dense cluster that was home to countless birds. As morning approached, their cacophonous chirping filled the air.

"This should be the place!"

Chen Li reached the third dilapidated cottage on the left side of the Red Forest and knocked on the door.

"Bang, bang, bang! Is Zhang Meng there?"

"Who is it?" called a female voice from inside, along with the rustling sounds of dressing: "Old Zhang just left for the forest."

It wasn’t long before the door creaked open, and a female cultivator appeared.

She was petite, and of an age where youth and maturity blended. She must have been quite beautiful in her younger years. She glanced at Chen Li surreptitiously, wariness hidden in her eyes, "Fellow Daoist, you don’t seem to be from around here. What brings you to Old Zhang?"

"Sister-in-law, don’t be nervous. I’m his friend. He wrote me a letter, so I came to check in," Chen Li said with a smile, handing her the letter.

The woman took the letter and recognized it as her husband’s handwriting. A smile blossomed on her face, "Ah, please come in and have a seat, come in. He’s just gone to collect firewood, he’ll be back soon."

Chen Li followed the woman inside.

The interior was cramped and dim, yet very tidily kept.

It had to be said, Gu Mengqing had a way with women. Having lost Lu Qian, he had quickly found himself a new companion.

"Do have some water, I’m afraid we don’t have much to offer," the woman offered Chen Li a cup of water.

Chen Li took the water and set it aside.

The woman was quite enthusiastic, continually inquiring about Chen Li’s background, which he deflected one after another.

After waiting an hour or two.

Gu Mengqing returned. Seeing another man in his house, he was taken aback, his expression souring for a moment. However, recognizing the familiar robe that the visitor wore, he quickly gathered his wits and ventured tentatively:

"Big brother...?"

Chen Li nodded and stood up, "Let’s go for a walk outside."

"Alright! I will just put away the firewood," Gu Mengqing said as he carried the wood toward the kitchen, while the woman hurriedly followed, whispering, "Who is this? You’ve never mentioned him."

"He’s the big brother I used to follow," Gu Mengqing replied, a genuine smile appearing on his distressed, dusky face, "If all goes well, we’ll have money at home soon. Just wait for me in peace, I’ll be back shortly."

When he fled in haste, he had hardly carried any Spirit Stones with him. Since arriving here, like the other Loose Cultivators, he had been hunting and gathering herbs to get by. Sustenance was not an issue, but a better life was a dream.

He could only earn a few Low-grade Spirit Stones each month, unable to even afford Spirit Rice.

Compared to before, it was a hundred times worse.

...

When Gu Mengqing emerged, Chen Li was already standing by the river.

He activated a Silencing Talisman and waited until the soft glow of silence covered the area before speaking, "Zhou Xutang is dead. You know about that, right?"

"I’ve heard. Big brother, did you...?"

"Of course, it wasn’t me!" Chen Li denied immediately, knowing fewer people aware of this the better, "The Longevity Sect is currently engaged in a big battle and has no time to reinvestigate the matter. The storm has completely passed now. If you want to come back, you can do so anytime. But of course, it’s up to you."

As he spoke, he took out a purse from his storage bag. The purse contained fifty Mid-grade Spirit Stones he had prepared in advance and handed them over, "Take this money and stop taking risks. You should live peacefully from now on."

Gu Mengqing received the pouch of coins, feeling its weight slightly sink in his hand. He opened it to look and couldn’t help but tremble. "This... this is too much, Brother, I can’t accept this!"

He knew Chen Li was generous and never stingy. He had expected Chen Li would give him some money when he came over, but he didn’t anticipate it would be so much. Fifty mid-grade Spirit Stones—unless one squandered them recklessly—would be enough to live without worries for the rest of one’s life.

"Take it. Adversity reveals true friendship. What are Spirit Stones compared to that? Last time, you practically saved my life. Isn’t my life worth anything?" Chen Li clapped him on the shoulder and said with a smile.

"Yes, Brother!" Gu Mengqing said, moved.

Before leaving, Chen Li cautioned him to be careful in his actions and not to slip up. He also gave him his current address before saying goodbye and departing.

...

The war had been raging for two months now, but it had hardly affected this place; aside from a slight gloom at heart, most Loose Cultivators lived their lives just as before.

Chen Li’s daily life was pleasant, with hardly any major worries. After the success of crafting the Golden Light Body Protection Talisman, the Golden Light Body Protection Skill also followed smoothly. He had thought these peaceful days would continue.

Until one afternoon...

Four Flying Boats, different from those of Longevity Sect, approached from afar.

The fierce sun blazed overhead; the cries of cicadas were exhaustive and loud.

At the foot of the shantytown hill, the streets were crammed with people. Everyone stared blankly at those four massive Flying Boats heading this way, their faces a mix of fear, instability, excitement, and bloodthirst. The crowd was incredibly noisy, a cacophony of voices.

"Longevity Sect is finished!"

This scene was all too familiar to Chen Li.

He had been through it.

A Loose Cultivator who was usually honest and harmless could become a beast released from its cage at the scent of profit, murdering for loot and committing massacres without a second thought—as common as breathing.

Zhou Hong clutched Chen Li’s arm tightly, her face pale.

Chen Li, sensing her fear, gently patted her hand and reassured, "Don’t worry. I have no interest in such bloody treasure."

"It’s the Flying Boats of Returning True Sect!" exclaimed a Loose Cultivator with wide-reaching knowledge.

"So that’s it!" Chen Li thought to himself.

Years ago, three sects besieged the Longevity Sect, and one of them was Returning True Sect.

That great battle...

...led to the fall of both Golden Core Ancestors of the Longevity Sect and the Artefact Sect, while the Golden Core Ancestors of Returning True Sect and Hongshan Sect were both seriously wounded. Now, after so many years, it was clear they had recovered.

When snipe and clam grapple, the fisherman profits.

Now that the majority of Longevity Sect’s forces were engaged in the war outside, their internal strength was at its weakest. Returning True Sect’s timing for this battle was exquisite.

The massive Flying Boats approached slowly and steadily, the pressure of their immense size growing ever stronger.

The crowd began to stir with unease.

Zhang Yan, accompanied by Zhang Shuniang, pushed through to approach them, his brow dripping with sweat:

"What should we do? Should we find a place to hide first?"

"Logically, Returning True Sect shouldn’t target us Loose Cultivators!" Chen Li pondered for a moment, then said: "But for safety’s sake, better to leave this place and wait for things to cool down."

"Exactly what I was thinking." Zhang Yan nodded repeatedly, thinking ahead. "Once the battle starts, everything will turn to chaos."

"Chen, could you take us—a widow and an orphan—along with you?" Wang Qing from next door asked frantically, holding her child.

"Alright, go back home and pack up your valuables first," Chen Li agreed.

Wang Qing and Zhang Yan each left their children with others and hurriedly rushed home.

"Uncle, Ms. Zhou," Zhang Shuniang called out timidly.

Zhou Hong affectionately pulled Zhang Shuniang close and comforted her: "Don’t be afraid, it will be over soon."

"Mhm," Zhang Shuniang nodded, glancing at Chen Li before responding.

"Uncle, Ms. Zhou," Wang Qing’s child followed suit, calling out with proper respect.

Chen Li smiled and tousled the child’s hair.

The child was usually quite cheeky but seemed a bit afraid of him, never daring to be disrespectful in his presence—quite the mystery.

"Stay here and watch over them, I’m going to pack up a few things," Chen Li told Zhou Hong.

Zhou Hong acknowledged.

He briskly walked home, filled a storage bag with several hundred catties of mid-grade Spirit Rice, then went to his crafting room to collect the blood ink and talisman paper, before locking his front door tight.

These were the only valuables in his home.

Both had storage bags where they usually kept their treasures.

Soon enough, Zhang Yan and Wang Qing returned, each carrying a packed bundle.

Then, the group, pushing through the crowd, made their way quickly towards the outskirts of the shantytown at the foot of the hill. Through a few streets, they reached the barren wilderness beyond.

Leaving the dense crowd behind, the whole group breathed a sigh of relief.

In fact, many people had already taken refuge in the wilderness.

They had only traveled a few miles...

...when a blaze of intense light lit up behind them, followed by a thunderous "boom" that resounded in the distance.

Chen Li turned his head to look back.

The mysterious mountaintop that had always been shrouded in fog was now clear; the fog had lifted, replaced by a giant Mountain Protection Array. Through the light barrier of the array, Chen Li could vaguely make out palaces and towers, an impressive sight.

Countless monks surrounded the Mountain Protection Array, attacking in coordination with the Flying Boats.

Innumerable beams of light struck the array.

The Mountain Protection Array was on the verge of collapse.

The group couldn’t help but stop in their tracks, staring ahead, their faces etched with complex and indescribable emotions.